Page 39 of Laid Bare

Me

I wanted to see if there were any Transmutation books in their library. Maybe then I can figure out how Aero ended up outside my body, instead of me shifting.

I pat myself on the back.Good thinking, Bails.

A pang of sadness hits me at the thought of the nickname Dad used to call me. Damn, I miss them.

The double ping of my phone chases the thoughts of my adopted parents, but it doesn’t diminish the notion that I need to find a way to see them. To apologize. And a call over the phone won’t convey how truly sorry I really am.

Sexy Demi

I have a few things to finish up here, but I’ll swing by later. Stay inside, and don’t open the door for anyone.

Yummy Vamp

I just finished my last meeting, so I’ll meet you there. We’ll make a weekend of it. It’ll do you some good to get out of the academy.

My thoughts exactly, yummy vamp.

With a newfound excitement, I snatch my bag from the floor and run into my room, discarding my school shit for a few changes of comfortable clothes, my toothbrush, a couple of hair ties, and my hairbrush. I don’t need more than that. We won’t be going anywhere, so there’s no point in needing anything more.

“Aero!” I yell once I have everything packed up.

There’s a loud huff, startling me, as I spin around, my hand clutching my chest.

“Dammit, you scared me.” I thought he was still passed out on the couch like he always is after classes. He gives me the equivalent of a human glare, most likely because I interrupted his beauty rest. “Come on. We’re going away for the weekend.”

He gives me a look that easily says,are you serious?Why yes, yes, I am, pony. Deal with it.

“Let’s roll.”

In no time, after a quick call to my magic, a perfectly formed pink portal stands before us. Every time I use my magic, it comes quicker, easier, like I hadn’t just started learning how to use it a few months ago.

Aero stays right at my side as we pass through, coming out into the main living room of the house. There’s a pop as the portal closes behind me, but Aero pays no mind, heading into his rounds, checking out the new environment. I wish I had a direct link to his brain so I could figure out why he does this every time we enter a new building. It’s strange to say the least. But hopefully I can find some answers soon.

The familiar, yet unfamiliar surroundings leaches the tension from my shoulders that I’ve been carrying around all week. Part of me knows I should be afraid—wary even—being here alone. But I know Axel and his dad have taken care of this place for years, and if Axel was worried about my safety being here, he would have told me to wait for him.

Soft snores came from the direction of the couch, a smile curling my lips at the sight of my Pegasus snuggled up with all the pillows. As strange as it’s been, having Aero has been a bright spot in my life, even if it’s only been a week. He may not be able to speak, but his presence lets me know that I’m not alone.

Leaving him to his nap, I toe off my shoes, then make my way through the halls, my fingers ghosting over the photographs on the walls. The smiling faces of my birth parents. The ones I should have grown up with, learned from. I wouldn’t trade my adopted parents for the world, but I wonder what life would have been like if the genocide never happened.

The marble flooring is cool under my socked feet, and in the distance lies the door to a wealth of curiomancer knowledge. I still have numerous books I never looked through back in my dorm, but those were general knowledge. General history of my kind. Now, I’m looking for something specific, and this is the best place I have to find it.

A breathless sort of awe fills me as I cross the threshold. Dying sunlight filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows, leaving the stacks bathed in a glow of orange. Dust motes dance in the rays, the mere sight of them telling me just how long it’s been since this place has had a thorough cleaning.

One of these weekends, maybe I’ll come over and give this place a once-over and figure out what I need in terms of upgrades. The house needs it, especially if I make the move to live here after my time at the academy. From what Axel said, I have the money to afford it. So why not put it back into the house that saw so much love from my birth parents.

I take my time going up and down each row of books, keeping my eyes peeled for anything on Transmutation. In the thousands of books here, there has to be at least one. Finding it would be like finding a needle in a haystack, but just the reminder of Aero snoring in the living room gives me the motivation to keep going.

The bad part is there’s no rhyme or reason to how the books are shelved. They’re not in alphabetical order by title or the author’s name like standard libraries. It’s like someone was so flustered by the sheer number, they just tossed them on a shelf and left.

Luka would probably have a coronary in here. I snicker to myself at the thought.

A bend in the stacks that I didn’t notice the first time I came in here catches my attention. Something akin to compulsion moves my feet in that direction, taking the curve into a dim hallway, lit only by the sconces on the walls. A shiver rattles my frame, the air cooler in this corridor compared to the rest of the house. Not that I should be able to feel the difference, but for some strange reason it permeates deep into my bones.

The hall spills into a windowless room, but there’s a pink glow radiating from the ceiling that lights up every nook and cranny of the space. A soft breeze flows through the area, confusion swirling around my mind at how it’s even possible when there’s no windows, no doors, just the direction I came from. And even then, there’s no way for air to make it all the way back here.

On the walls, unknown faces stare back at me, and even though their features are different from one another, one thing stands out among all of them.

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